Nepal crash survivors recall horror
The four homemakers from the city were on a tour of Nepal when a bus they were travelling in turned turtle and slid a distance, before crashing into a roadside retaining mesh at Nawalparasi district in Nepal on the night of May 29.
The four women, along with 10 others, including injured persons and their relatives were brought to city on Thursday and admitted at K R Hospital around 6.30 am. They were later shifted to a private hospital in Yadavagiri, in the afternoon.
Heartrending scenes greeted this reporter at the K R Hospital. J Jayamma, 51, wife of late the Mahadev of Cheluvamba Agrahara in K R Mohalla here, who lost both her arms in the accident was wailing uncontrollably in pain.
Renuka, 40, of Gayathripuram lost her right hand, while her husband Ramesh, an Assistant Engineer at Mandya ZP, suffered minor injuries. Renuka told this reporter that when she opened her eyes she found her right hand almost severed. Army personnel took her to the College of Medical Science and Teaching Hospital, Bharatpur, Chitwan, where her hand was amputated.
Renuka had earlier been on a Tamil Nadu tour organised by Maniyamma, wife of Krishnappa, owner-driver of the ill-fated bus, two years ago. That was a good trip and she couldn’t say no when Maniyamma planned a tour of north India and Nepal.
Nagamma, 70, wife of late H M Venkatesh, South Kodagu, Gonikoppa, the oldest among the injured, regained consciousness three days of the crash. Nagamma’s right hand had been amputated. The pain and the dreaded memories refuse to away for Mahadevi, 40, wife of Shankaraiah of Gayathripuram. She recalls hearing a huge sound, of the right front wheel of the bus bursting. The driver tried his best to control the steering, but failed, she says.
“I found my right hand missing even as slid away in a great speed”, said Mahadevi. As the bus tilted to its right, all those sitting on left side of the bus fell on those seated on the right side of the bus. Vijayamma (65), who was seated behind the driver, died. The survivors gratefully recall the help of army personnel who were the first to rescue them, and the doctors at the hospital. Two of the doctors at the hospital were from Karnataka - Dr Ashok from Bangalore and Dr Raghavendra Bhat from Mangalore who helped the victims to avail credit for medicine and treatment. Another source of help was K R Raghu, sub-inspector attached to City Armed Reserve police wing of Mysore who was sent to Nepal by district administration.
